Method of making flanged tubes



T. E. MURRAY ET AL Dec. 7 1926.

METHOD OF MAKING FLIANGED TUBES Filed July 5,

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I N VEN TORS. THU/W5 E. M11/Wm Y ATTORNEY.

HERBERT H W/L L MM5 1922 V:s sheets-sheet 2 I N V PINTOR-5. THU/M5 E.MUR/f/Y H. W/LL/HMS ATTORNEY l l f l. l l l. 1 l 1 1 1 u l HERBER /11 /fT. E. MURRAY ET AL METHOD oF MAKING FLANGED TUBES Filed July 5,

Dec. 7 1926.

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Patented 7, 1926. 'y

y UNITED fslars THOMASv E. MURRAY TENT- AND HERBERT H. WILLIAMS,v or NawYoan, N. Y.;- sAm wm- Lmms AssIGNon To sAm menant.

METHOD on MAKING FLANaEn TUBES.

\ Application filed July 8,

Our invention aims to provide an improved method of making wheel hubs,differential carriers and other articles with or without a flange orflanges and to provide an article of this sort which can be made veryrapidly and cheaply.

The vaccompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan of a segment used in making the product; j

Fig. 2'is an end elevation of a pair of such segments in position to bewelded together; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the finishedproduct;

Fig. 4 'is a similar section illustrating a modification;

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 3 of a differently s ha ed. product,with the shape 'of the blank s own in dotted lines;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the finished product of Fig. 5, partlybroken away;

Fig. 7 vis a section of another product made in accordance with theinvention;

Figs. 8 and 9 represent successive opera-` tions in forming a pair o fflanges in one series of operations; 4

Figs. 10 and 11. are respectively an end view and a lsection ofa-'differential carrier; Figs. 12 and 13O are sections onplanes at 30right angles to each other of an intermediate product.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of another modification.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the product ismade of segments, preferably two semi-circular segments, bent up fromsheet metal to provide the necessary transverse curvature and alsoformed with a bend in the length of the segment at an intermediatepoint. A se' ment b ent or drawn in this way is indicate at 1 in Fig. 1.For ease of drawing, the bends 2 and 3 in the length of the segment forma fairly wide V-shape in longitudinal section, and for a similar Areasonthe end portions 4 and 5 of the segment are tapered from the parts 2 and3 to the points of smallest diameter. The segments 1 thus formed areassembled as in Fig. 2swiththeir lon itu- -dinal edges 6 in contact andare we ded along such edges into -a tubular intermediate product, thelongitudinal sectionl of /which will be as in Fig. 1, and the joints ofwhich will follow the contour of the edges 6 illustrated in Fig. 1. Anyusual o r suitma. semi' no. 512,394.

which will causethe fin to be-extruded entirely tothe outside, .as isunderstood by persons skilled .in this art.

After the weldingoperation described,

form the cylindrical portions 1. and 8 of the tubular product thusformed `is swaged to compress the tapered end portions 4 and 5 to Fig.3, and to compress the parts 2 and 3 flat .so as to form'the oppositeleaves or sheets 9 and 10 which constitute an intermediate flange.

and 8, and this will generally be true for wheel hubs. may be bent tosome other angle than the exact right angle illustrated.

Both these parts may be brought to. a right angle with the ytubularportions But ither or both of them The parts 9 and 10 alone may be usedto l constitute the desired flange. But'where a heavier or stifferflange is desired there may be provided intermediate rings 11. The rinis inserted by assembling the .segments as 1n Fig. 1 with the bendsthereof embracing the ring, so that when the segments are weldedtogether the ring will be held in place, and so that in the finalswaging operation the partsA 9 and 10 of the flange will be pressedagainst the ring 11.

It is not essential thatthe welding of the` edges be continuous from endt'oend. There y are a number of articles, such for example as wheelhubs, in which it will not be necessary to have the segments of theflanges welded to each other. Such a case'is illustrated in Fig. 4,which is a section similar to Fig. 3; in which, howeventhe tubularportions 7 and 8 are shown' to' be welded along the edges but the flangeportions 9 and 10 are' not so welded.

By welding together the segments in theintermediate form the finalbending and sha ing of the flange and tubular parts is ma e easy. It isnot essentiaL- however, that the welding be done first. Each segment,shaped as in Fig. 1, may be subjected to a second bending operation tobring it to the shape, in longitudinal section, shown in Fig. 3; afterwhich the welding of the segments together will produce the finishedshape desired. v

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a tube which is of different diameters atdifferent points in its length. A variety of such shapes may be producedby correspondingly' shaping the swaging tools-which give to thearticle'its nal contour.

Fig. 5 illustrates also the application of the invention to the makingof an internal flange. In this case the segments are first shaped withan internal bend 12 in longitudinal section and when the endwisecornpression is effected lthis transverse bend'in the metal isconvertedinto an internal flange 13 of double thickness similar to the externalflanges of the other figures.

` The inserted plate or ring 14 may also be of such internal diameter asto forni an inward flange as in Fig. 5, (which represents in contour astandard section of a. certain automobilewheel hub). The two thicknessesof metal 15 and 16 which form the outer flange will naturally be ofgreater diameter than the reinforcing ring 14. The ring must be set inplace between the two blank segments bef-ore the welding operation. The

welding may be omitted over the portions ofv the plates 15 and 16, whichbear against the inserted ring 14. Or the ring 14 may be provided withslots 17, Fig. 6, 1n line with the welded joints 18 so as to leave roomfor the formation of an inside fin indicated roughly at 19. In makingthe hub of Figs. 5 and 6, it has been assumed that the segments 4werefirst formed and 'then welded together and then swaged to the shape ofthe are compressed endwise before welding, they may be subjected toadditional swaglng or .shaping operations after welding.

' The invention is of articular value in producing tubular artic es witha flange or flanges at intermediate points in their length. It may beused, however, to produce articles with flanges on their ends. In Fig. 7a plain pipe 2,6has mounted thereon a ring 21 with a flange \`\formedintegrally of two thickynesses 22 and 23 with an intermediatereinforcing ring 24. These parts may be welded or otherwise fastened tothe pipe 20. The ring 21 and flanges 22 and 23 are first formed up ofsegments stamped Aout of sheet metal of circular transverse Section andof a .de-

sired flanged shape in 4longitudinal section and welded and swaged tothe ultimate tubular flanged form desired.

According to Fig. .8 a pair of blanks of semi-circular cross section isprovided with ,70' cylindrical end portions 25 an a cylindricalintermediate portion 26, with oblique bends 27,28 between each endportion and the intermediate portion. The segments are then welded alongtheir edges as at 29 and are 7 5 compressedendwise and swaged into theform shown in Fig. 9 with flanges formed of the two thicknesses of metal30 and 31. There is thus produced a hub with outward annular flanges andwith axial flanges 25 ex- 80 tending from the outer flanges.

In Figs. 10 and n11 we illustrate a` tubular construction such as isused in making a faces of the annular` carrier for the differentialbearing of auto- A strai ht tubular portion 32 back in the middle toform bearing portions 37 for a shaft. The complete carrier is made 95 intwo halves welded together along the dotted line 38.

The first step in the manufacture of the carrier consists in bending uptwo half round, or approximately half round, segments of thelongitudinal sections shown in'.- F ig. 12, with the parts 34 and 35bent only partially toward the ultimate position desired and with theend projections 36and 37 From the face of the latter there 9 as shown.IVhile this is referred to as the first step of the process, it will beunderstood that in making this as well as the other art1clesillustrated, the first step may involve a succession of bending anddrawing operations to convert the fiat blank of sheet metal to thedesired segmental shape. Similarly each of the other steps referred toin the production ofthe-desired article may in itself consist of asuccession of operations.

The final bending to the shape of Fig. 11 115 is effected in asubsequent step as is the weld- 1ng of the segments along the line 38,either of which may be performed before the other according toconvenience.

Fig. 14 shows in finished shape the end A120 of a segment used informing a pipe, a couplmg, a or the like. The flange is formed 1n twothicknesses 39 and 4Q on the end of the article; In the swaggingoperation or series of operations ,the'flange is also shaped 125 with apolygonal or non-circular edge 41 for engagement by a wrench. We haveshown the completely shaped flange formed on a half round segment whichis to be united to a similar segment by welding on the edges.

It will be'understood, however, that the segments may be welded to'ether before cornpleting the formation o the flange, as wehave'described in connection with some of the previous figures.

There are various other ways of adaptingY the `segments to yield at adetermined point when subjected to endwise pressure, besides the partialbending of the flanges as above described. For example, the segmentsmight be drawn out or otherwise brought to a reduced thickness at theparts of their length which are intended to yield and form the flange.The drawing operation described in' connection vwith Figs. Al and 8 forexample may be so conducted as to considerably reduce the thickness ofthe metal in bends 2, 3 and 27,'28so that inthis case we would have boththebending and the reduction in thickness to facilitate the formation ofthe flange 4by endwise pressure. Themetal, of course, must besufficiently soft to permit the drawing and bending operations referredto. The operation may be facilitated by the other products than theflanged tubes de-4 scribed. There are many products whichin their finalshape are -not so well adapted to production by welding operations butwhich' Y can be made of parts which initially are of a shape betteradapted for welding than the desired finished shape', the joint beingweld.-

ed :Eid the work being then re-shaped as des1re Though we have describedwith great particularity of detail certain vspecific embodiments of ourinvention, yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the inventionis restricted to the particular embodiments dis closed. Variousmodifications thereof in the details of the article and in the steps ofthe process may be ymade `b those skilled in the `art without departurerom Vthe invention as defined in 'the following 'claims What We claim is:V 1. In the making-of a tubular article with a flange at anintermediate point in its length, the'method which consists in formingtapered segments of sheet metal with a transverse V-shaped bend at apoint intermediate the ends thereof, welding said segf ments into atube, compressing the tapered portions radially and compressing said V-shaped portions longitudinally to form a flange of double thickness. 2.yIn the making' of a tubular article with a flange at an intermediatepoint in its length, the method which consists in forming segments ofsheet metal, each of which has its opposite ends differentI fromeachother and `has a transverse V-shaped bend at a pointVintermediatethe ends thereof, welding said. segments into a tube andcompressing said V-shaped portions lon itudinally to form a flange ofdouble thlckness between the two en d portions.

3. In vthe making of a tubular article fwith a flange at an intermediatepointin ,its length, the method. which consists in forming segments ofsheet metal of different radii at. opposlte sides of a xtransverseV-shaped bend, welding said segments into;

a tube and compressing said V-shaped portions longitudinally to form aflange of double thickness between the two portions 'of different radii.In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

THOMAS E. MURRAY. HERBERT H. WILLIAMS.

